No More Homework, Says This Third Grade Teacher
Kids can spend time more productively than doing exercises for the teacher. Studies show she's right.
Homework is a heated topic whether you’re talking to kindergarteners, high school students (or any grade between them) or their parents. Everyone’s got an opinion. I do too, especially after 21 years of teaching elementary school and raising twin 16-year-olds.
I grew up in Palo Alto, CA. In my early elementary school I went to an “open” school. Of course, this was the 1970’s. Classrooms had pillows and beanbag chairs rather than desks, a reading loft where you could go and read for hours.
You worked at your own pace, called your teachers by their first names and studied what interested you. Homework was unheard of. After school we were supposed to build tree houses, make mud pies, play kick the can, participate in team sports do our chores and, of course, read for half an hour.
This didn’t last long. My father’s success drove us to the “better” side of town which meant a change of school for me and my sister. We were rapidly introduced to desks, rules, Miss So-and-So, and purple, smelly, mimeographed homework packets.
What??? Homework!! Ugh. When would we have time to play, practice, and rest for God’s sake? These packets were crammed with drill and kill math facts, hundreds upon hundreds of equations, word searches, word banks, crossword puzzles, word scrambles. Wait…this was kind of fun….for about a week! Packets were assigned on Monday and turned in on Friday. Did they ever even get graded? We’ll never know as they disappeared into the circular file never to be seen again.
High school and middle school were a bit different. It seemed as though the homework I had was mostly unfinished class work and reports. If I’d goofed off in class, then I had loads of homework that night. If I paid attention, used my work time appropriately I’d maybe have an hour of schoolwork, including reading, to complete by the next day. After all, I played three sports each school year, worked part time and had a boat-load of chores being the eldest of four children.
Guess what? I turned out OK without tons and tons of homework. I got into college then got a full-ride scholarship to graduate school. I’ve had the same job for over twenty years.
That brings me to now. Every year at Back To School Night parents at De Laveaga Elementary School ask me what my homework policy is. I look at them very seriously and say, “I don’t believe in homework.”
But these parents insist that Susie or Bobby needs HOMEWORK. Even though I tell them that homework will not make your child “smarter” or do better in school, they still want it.
I find this shocking. So, I’ve come up with the canned answer that they can go to Kalaidescope, the parent teacher store in Capitola and pick up as many workbooks as they’d like.
You should see the look on their faces…especially now in 2011 when we’re all so in a “Race to Nowhere.” Each student in my third grade class has a weekly contract, due Friday. This is class work, what’s not finished is homework. In addition to “unfinished business” I require that they read for twenty minutes every weeknight. If the families in my class do this, their child will have success in third grade, guaranteed.
Looking back on my own children’s experience in elementary school I wish they’d had an experience similar to mine or the one my students have.
We got caught up in that race, the Internet, generation now, or whatever. Too many tears were shed over homework assignments that were given without explanation, projects that were way above their heads. I wish we’d just slowed down, played and read as a family. Studies have shown that homework for elementary school students does not improve test scores, so why are we continuing to assign it?
Hot, hot, hot topic. Do your children need more or less homework, or are they getting the right amount?
Tell us in the comments.
Moira Fitzgerald
9:14 am on Monday, March 7, 2011
Sheila,
I have to agree with you. Take a look at the overview of two studies done on this very topic. http://www.physorg.com/news4333.html
There are many more studies published on this same topic and all agree there does not appear to be a positive correlation between the amount of homework and learning done by elementary school age children.
On the other hand, adults benefit tremendously from homework through repeated exposure and memorization. Studies hint that this might be because the adult brain is a less maleable than a child's. Gives a whole new meaning to "hard headed"! ;-))
Thanks for taking this topic head on!
Moira Fitzgerald, RVT
VetTechLife.com
Patrick Evans
9:19 am on Monday, March 7, 2011
This is an excellent bit of insight. The homework I was given throughout elementary school in the 90's was routine, boring, and loaded on with a shovel. The teacher browbeat us to finish it, my parents yelled at me when I didn't, and my precious time in the sun slipped by staring at equations that I did not want to understand. I began to resent school in general, and to hate any kind of homework. I fell into a pattern of avoiding work, lying about it, turning in half-finished assignments, turning in no assignments; all the way until I left high-school after Junior year, seriously depressed . It wasn't until college that homework made any sense to me.
Don Evans
9:01 am on Thursday, April 7, 2011
Did I yell at you?
Dad
Amy
9:24 am on Monday, March 7, 2011
I agree completely with this article! There is no research that says homework makes students smarter. Children are spending less time outdoors and more time doing homework and in structured after school activities. We need to spend less time on creating test takers and more time on teaching kids how to think outside the box, solve problems creatively and work in groups. Our world's problems require some creative solutions! Homework is out of control in some schools. I recommend the movie Race to Nowhere.
cindy Lou Herriges
9:26 am on Monday, March 7, 2011
She is one of the best teachers I have ever met, and her students, parents and faculty do too. she is a great example to all of us!! share this article, let's get our kids outside and healthy in body too!!
Kristi Griggs-Holt
10:10 am on Monday, March 7, 2011
Raising 6 kids, sometimes in as many as 5 schools I resented the amount of homework my children were given, often beyond a level at which they could accomplish themselves, which of course meant that I was doing or aiding in a lot of homework. Science projects and book reports were the most impressive at open house to see which 'parent' received an A for the best diarama or erupting volcano. I agree with you Sheila! 7 hours in a classroom is enough for one day. Let's think about the whole student!
Becky Thielbar
10:31 am on Monday, March 7, 2011
As an elementary student of the 70's I remember hours and hours of bike riding, fort building and long explorations wit my friends... all during after school hours. My little self did not enter my home until the sun was completely set and I could no longer see my hands in front of my face. I loved school and I loved most of my teachers; they had me for six hours each week day and that was enough. I am so thankful for the time I had as a child to develop my social skills and independent spirit with unstructured time. I wish my children were able to do the same. The school age years are far to short to be spent indoors doing homework. Thanks for voicing what many of us have been thinking!
Linda Covella
10:40 am on Monday, March 7, 2011
This is a great discussion. So interesting that six out of six readers agree with Sheila. Thanks for your input, everyone!
Redwoodgirl
12:40 pm on Monday, March 7, 2011
And people wonder why kids are getting fatter & fatter. Kids NEED time to play outside & be...well....KIDS! I can't tell you how many hours I have agonized with my child over hours of homework. We usually end up arguing & both frustrated & upset. It's just not worh it!
Sal
5:36 pm on Monday, March 7, 2011
Seriously, forcing elementary children to spend their free time alone, neck deep in homework, may not be the most conducive strategy to encourage development. It might be a huge turn-off. But, cutting homework completely may not be the most beneficial course either, as they will be expected at some point to show enough discipline to do big homework projects. What if a minimal amount of homework was given, and slowly increased over the child's career as a student to a reasonable plateau based on individual talent and effort; among the many other variables one must consider, including but not limited to home-life/culture. Then if the kids should want more, they should be strongly encouraged to take on more. If they should choose not to do more, then it should not be used as some kind of sadist stumbling block, and they should not be stigmatized having achieved the minimal standards.
Cassie Maas
8:29 pm on Monday, March 7, 2011
I hate the amount of homework my kids have. I'm not sure what the answer is, but I think teaching kids a love of learning is more important than making them do a ton of homework. But we plow through it as best we can and try not to get all worked up about it. We frequently fail and I hate the tears and frustration on both of our parts.
Jessica Brooks
9:12 pm on Monday, March 7, 2011
I agree Sheila, for the most part. As a language arts teacher, I try to assign homework only as a completion of classwork or reading. I believe all work done for school should have a purpose, as practice of a skill and to reinforce learning. I also think that when it comes to some things, especially math, there has to be some reinforced practice through work at home so that when you come back to class you are ready to move on to the next skill. I think it is unfair to expect students to learn new concepts or skills through assigned homework, but homework is a necessary piece to an increasingly shorter school year's curriculum.
Nancy Bain
9:12 pm on Wednesday, March 9, 2011
Amen, Sheila!!! My kids have way too much homework and I hate battling them about it. Thanks for putting this out there.
Yvette Bertolet
9:48 am on Saturday, March 26, 2011
I am also a teacher and whole heartedly agree. I didn't believe in homework except to complete unfinished work and daily reading. I think those children enjoyed school much more. Too often I hear about frazzled parents and children who have spent hours the night before doing homework. Plus, how many teachers actually use the homework for a grade. I too, thank you for writing the article.
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